DISQUS

The original Stig was "Black Stig" who was a bloke called Perry McCarthy Ex F1 driver who was killed off by Top Gear (by tossing him off an aircraft carrier) after his identity was reviled. Ben Collins revile is a little different as it was due to Hammond's accident that his name came up, so its not known if the same fate awaits White Stig. Rumour is Pink or Red Stig.

http://www.khaaan.com/

Number 96 comes to mind. Not only was it progressive for the time (and air time for that matter) I am almost sure it would never make it to air now (at least not on the commercial networks). So with that as a starting point I think you can track rather nicley how sex on TV from the 70s till now. Hell even Blankety Blanks had more over sexual innuendo than we see on prime time commercial networks now.

completely irrelevant comment, but I see Boxcutters is on the front page of the iTunes TV/Film section.

[rant]
Top Gear has had 11 seasons to get where it is, and it had some host changes. And people roast Top Gear OZ after two shows. Where oh where aunty are the "lets give the show a chance to develop" I hear every week about shows. Not there. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm double standards me thinks.
[/rant]

Interesting ep. I must say, I think you have Wipeout wrong Josh. I think the idea is that, people are taking the piss out of themselves and the reality genre. Also, Fringe wasn't really that bad. Its SF after all. Its supposed to be a little bit far fetched. How can you knock a show that actually brought back "The Mad Scientist". Hell there is even a reference to Dr. X in the second ep.

New website. Excellent.

Sad thing is, it seems the contestants feel they are responsible for the demise of BB as they weren't entertaining enough. Since BB was supposed to be about "observation" television is somewhat sad that the blame seems to be on (or at least felt by) those being observed rather than the show itself. Especially when you have two pilocks like "kyle" and "O". I truly don't know how they get work at all. Jacky O has got the personality of a flee and isn't particularly attractive on screen. Kyle is just an idiot.

Ok, retract that rant as you got to the Doctor Who bit at the end. Much of which I agree with. Its still a better show than any Australian drama on TV at the moment.

Problem with most Australian content is that its shit. Writing is usually unsophisticated (navy seaboat) and usually the story is only there to forward the narrative in very specific ways. Need to have some conflict here so write in a conflict between characters, it doesn't matter if that conflict is utterly ridicules and without depth. The moment I see that sort of writing I turn of. I have no interest in programmes which belittles audience intelligence. I watched City Homicide last night and it was terrible. Story was utter crap. You could see everything, nothing was left for the audience to figure out. The writing was so crap that the acting was ruined. There is little point in watching something which is supposed to be Drama and ends up Drama Queen.

[rant]
Now Doctor Who. That has some good writing in it, stories work to establish a grand narrative yet subtle enough that you can only usually see it on reflection. But of course you don't know that because you never talk about Doctor Who even when your meant to.
[/rant]

Yep I see it. LOoks good.

[taps mic]
***feedback sound***
ah, is this thing on ?
***listens to the sounds of crickets***
Guess not. Really, show wasn't that bad last week.

Looks like we are finally going to get some more "content" next year with FTA networks actually launching new channels. TEN have also upped the anti with bringing more sports to its other channels. Finally I say. As for SBS, its not the same as it used to be. The problem I see, is that as it gets a larger slice of non core audiences, its ability to niche market will be limited. That is a shame I think.

I hate the idea of taking the credits away. Its like going to a restaurant and having the waiter take the plate away the moment you eat the last pea. Sorry mate, I haven't finished. I would like to digest my meal for a few moments and reflect on it before cutting to something else. Same goes for the credits on film and TV.

Top Gear has a lot of female audience members actually. And why no, its one of the best shows on TV providing entertainment and Petrolhead-edness. Perfect.

Really good this week guys. My dad was the former head of Cinecamera at the ABC (which was responsible for News Current Affairs and Documentaries) So that discussion struck a bit of a nostalgic nerve. The Bill Henson thing was also a good discussion. Being a photographer and someone who really likes the way Henson uses light (and someone who teaches media studies) I am glad you raised the topic with a bit of thought. All in all a good show.

Out of curiosity, how come Boxcutters isn't on the RRR podcast only list ?

Jimbo said

"Besides, it would be extremely hard to justify introducing a licence for something which is rapidly becoming obsolete."

That is a very good point and I think your right. However, I can't really see the major networks abandoning Television as a medium. They still haven't really understood "downloading". They are firmly entrenched in this idea that TV is there to make money at the cost of its audience. None of them actually deliver content efficiently to meet audience needs. The constant battle of the people have to endure to actually watch a show, shows just how little commercial networks value of the audience they are trying to supply content to.

@FTC. The iTunes thing isn't actually a fault at all (though it is bloody annoying). If iTunes detects that the podcasts being downloaded haven't been listened too for a long period, it assumes the listener isn't interested and halts downloads. Hence the need to unsub and resub. I find it bloody annoying as I am a podcast junky and sometimes don't get a chance to listen to everything in on hit (especially as I usually listen to podiobooks of some kind and like to have some spare listening hand y when needed).

As controversial as this might sound. I would like to see the ABC adopt a TV license strategy. It would talk all the Political pressure away and more than likely give the ABC a descent budget.

I know who the Stig is, and he is the second incarnation of him. The first guy was a bloke called Perri McCarthy. Have a read of his book "Flat Out and Flat Broke". I won't say who the new Stig is though, got to keep some of the mystic. I will say for sure that it isn't Lewis Hamilton.

Anyone have a link to this green baby ?

Geez I wish there was an EDIT function on word press. This little window doesn't really allow you to review what you have written very well. I repeated myself a bit in the last post :(

Once it hits the major release groups it will be all over the net and pretty much open slather for everyone to grab. Since I just happened to be in NSW the other day, I must say Underbelly is good. Its the first time in a very very long time I am going to say any series out of the commercial networks has been that good. Funnily enough "Halifax FP" might have been the last time I thought an Australian commercial production was that good.

Slightly off topic. The one thing that bothers me (and this goes back to the police comment when caught) is the referring of Carl Williams as a "Serial Killer". clearly there should be a difference between a Ted Bundy and a gangster. Or are we to label War Veterans as Serial Killers as well.

Underbelly won't be shown in Victoria. So its time to fire up the BT powered Jet and fly to NSW to watch it.

That website layout is very interesting. The links to the videos are very reminisant of the "iTunes / iPod" image shuffle. That I don't think is a coincidence. Having said all of that. Man do those logos look crap on screen. Have either ABC1 or the Sound Wave. But not both.